Radon Test

[stevetheplumber919]

Is radon testing something to be considered? I'm looking at a program from 96radon.com that is offering testing in Ontario. Any thoughts

[Bruce Thomas]

Steve,

I don't know anythink about your laws. Here in PA USA We make about 20% of our income testing.

Be sure before you jump in.

Bruce

[excalibur]

Well i know that radon is the second cause of cancer to people in any buildings that are not protected from those ground gas . Although , The EPA ( United State environmental protection agency) reports multiple problems of health coming from Radon. From my point of view, any inside soil, in buildings, should be protected by the installation of a polyethylene .It should cover the entire sanitary space to block those nocive gas. Radon have different concentration depending of the type of soil or district. I think it is important to know the concentrations of Radon gas where problems have been reported in your city. In that case ,it is important to advise your client on this problem for his safety, in your report. (sorry for my spelling , i'm french)

[Garcha]

Steve, Whenever Helping people creates greater opportunity for wealth it is no longer work. In other words learn about the subject advise people for their own safety when the need is present and pick up the extra cash. But first check with your insurer.

Spelling is no issue around here.

[HomeRadon]

How to do a Radon Inspection on a House You Are Buying A Step by

Step Radon Home Inspection Guide

When performing a do-it-yourself radon home inspection, it's very important to follow the instructions that come with the

radon inspection test kits. If you are doing a radon home inspection

on a house you are planning to buy, then you will need to follow a

few extra procedures to insure that your results are accurate.

Please read and follow the instructions below in addition to the

ones that came with your radon inspection test kits.

Before Starting the Real Estate Radon Inspection Test:

Notify the home's occupants about the importance of maintaining

proper radon testing conditions. Give the occupants written

instructions fully explaining closed house testing conditions and

the consequences of interfering with the radon home inspection.

The model ST-200 radon inspection kit comes with 2 radon detectors. These 2 detectors should be exposed "side-by-side" in the same location. You will probably need to test more than one location so you will probably need more than one ST-200 radon inspection kit.

Conduct the test for a minimum of 48 hours. Remember, closed house

conditions must exist at least 12 hours before you start the radon

test and for the entire duration of the radon home inspection.

If you arrive at the house and find that closed house conditions did

not exist for 12 hours before the radon inspection start time, you

will have to reschedule the test for a time after the 12 hour closed

house conditions have been followed.

You should always place one set (2 side-by-side) of radon detectors

in the basement or lowest lived in level of the home you are buying.

You will also need to put radon detectors in each area that is in

contact with the ground. This is called testing the footprint of the

house. If you're not sure how many ST-200 Radon Inspection Kits you

will need to test the footprint of the house you are buying then use

our Radon Test Wizard.

The radon home inspection should include method(s) to prevent or

detect interference with testing conditions or with the radon

detector itself.

If the house has an active radon mitigation system, make sure the fan is operating properly. If the fan is not operating properly, ask to have it repaired before starting the radon home inspection.

For the rest of:

The complete step by step instructions on How to do a Radon Inspection on a House You Are Buying

[Les]

Sure sounds like a commercial from home radon. Personally and Professionally we have been in the business for abt 17yrs. Don't make a whole lot of money doing it, but it is meaningful work and a service I can feel comfortable with. The comfort factor is why we do no mold testing, either with home kits or commercial equipment.

My attitude has matured over the years with the advances of technology; ie: no more charcoal cannisters, sponges, strips, etc and the exclusive use of electronic devices. We are very picky about the protocols and calibration schedules. If you search this site you will find lots of good info.

It, radon screening, is about the only aux type service I believe inspectors should be doing. Mostly because most other service is predicated on sales and not science and expertise.

We do no mitigation work and have helped several plumbers get into that business, as I think they have the basic skills and techniques that are required to do a good and attractive job.

[Erby]

From an e-mail newsletter I received today.

=================

Changes to Canada's Radon Guideline

Health Canada has proposed that the current guideline for exposure to radon gas be reduced from 800 to 200 becquerels per cubic metre. (200 bq/m3 = 5.4 pCi/l). The Federal Provincial Territorial Radiation Protection Committee (FPT RPC) appointed a Working Group to review this recommendation and report back on its findings.

This review was completed in the fall of 2005 and supported Health Canada's proposal. The FPT RPC has requested that the proposed revision to the Canadian radon guideline and the associated Working Group report be made available for public comment.

How Can I Comment on the Guideline?

You can access our comment page from the report. It provides you with several options for contacting us.

Please note that all comments must be received before June 22, 2006.

Where Can I Find the Report?

Report of the Radon Working Group on a New Radon Guideline for Canada

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/public-c ... app_e.html

Where Can I Find More Information?

Changes to Canada's Radon Guideline

Rationale

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/public-c ... uoi_e.html

Federal Provincial Territorial Radiation Protection Committee (FPT RPC)

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiati ... dex_e.html

Radon (It's Your Health)

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/environ/radon_e.html

==================

Hope it helps.

[kurt]

I'm not disputing anything, but I often wonder just how dangerous radon really compared to all the other toxic materials, micro-fibers, and everything else we are exposed to on a daily basis.

If one reads the full report on how the EPA derived their threshold measurements (technically, it's not even a threshold), one wonders about the science involved. If one has ever worked w/ the EPA, one realizes how politicized the process is.

As a start, one should talk to a radiologist, or a toxicologist regarding interpreting threshold levels. They (the medical professionals) have an entirely different approach to analyzing exposure risk. I would love it if there was an honest debate about the actual hazards that was not derived from the EPA, but from folks that are trained in determining health effects & their causes.

[Tom Barber]

Kurt. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Tom Barber in VA

[Rob Amaral]

The bottom line is that radon and its decay products are 'alpha emitters' and having an alpha-emitter on your lung cell is not cool. The biggest punch, the shortest range and actually the easiest to prevent. Because of that, 'it's an issue'. The powers-that-be cannot downplay ionizing radiation, especially when it is easy to test for and mitigate.

[kurt]

I know that.

I just wonder about how the EPA comes up w/their statistics is all. When someone says something like "the #2 cause of lung cancer is radon", w/out long term testing & research into all the variables related to individuals w/lung cancer, I question lots of things 'cuz I'm a curious kind of guy.

I read somewhere that Canada is thinking of changing their "action" level from the current 20pcl to something like 5.6pcl. Why would they be @ 20pcl for so long when we're @ 4? What political climate change induced the change to 5.6pcl?

IOW, I'm just curious where these #'s come from. Are they "real", or are they gov't. bureaucrats w/science that benefits their dept.(?).....

[wingfoot]

For what it's worth, I read sometime back that years ago, doctors could not tell if someone with lung cancer developed it because of radon. Now they are able to determine through tissue samples because of certain marks it will leave on lung tissue.

[Bruce Thomas]

Kurt,

OK so some night when you can't sleep go to www.aarst.org and click the link to the BIER studies. It's not just the EPA any more. Every study that I know of except for 1 crack pot with corrupted data confirms that radon is real.

Another source is www.cansar.org these are real people talking.

Now for the action level. There is no safe level of any kind of radiation. The action level of 4 pCi/L is the economically feasible level and it's based on a year long average. The 2 day tests are just for screening to find a potential. If the results are between 4 & 10 pCi/L a year long test to confirm it should be done.

Radon increases your potential for lung cancer, it's a class A carcinogen. If it was in our food or some company invented it the lawyers would all be getting richer but God put it where it is and He doesn't pay judgements.

Unfortunately there are still people out there who claim they never heard of radon and it's dangers. I got an Email just the other day from a woman who's husband died of lung cancer and she is now dedicating her life to "getting the word out".

Silly me, I thought we already did that.

Bruce

[:-cry]

[Scottpat]

I think the reason that Canada has such a high action level has to do more with economics and their socialist health care (I'm not sure where I heard this). I believe that Sweden has the lowest action level I think it is around 3 pCi/L.

[Les]

Bruce,

There are folks out there that may have heard, but don't understand. In the past related issues are come to the front and we were all gonna' die. Problem, at least one in my opinion, is inspectors don't understand radon. Very likely you do, however in my state where we have high and no levels, inspectors are the main source of bad info. And there is always the inspector that buys a monitor and knows nothing and is completely unregulated.

just a thought

[Terence McCann]

The best one I heard was from a realtor. When asked by the customer what he thought about Radon he stated "Oh I don't know, Radon wasn't around when I was young" and then he chuckled. I wanted to ask him if he thought seatbelts and airbags were a bad idea too. I mean, they were never put in old cars, why do we need them now?

Radon is classified as a colorless, orderless radioactive gas. It is a class A carcinogen that is known to cause cancer in humans as well as animals.

I just watched a special on the 20Th anniversary of Chernobyl. The land is still layed waste around the plant and numerous people suffer health related issues due to the exposure. Radioactive gas does bad things.

[kurt]

Just so's you all know, I'm not questioning the dangers from Radon; it's unquestionably a hazard.

I just wonder where it all stacks up on the overall hazard scale, is all. All this safety stuff that we have to think about numbs me out; it all starts looking stupid.

I mean, what's gonna get me? Radon? No anti-tip bracket on the 'ol gas range? The uneven riser? Is the 1/2" lippage on the sidewalk gonna lay me low? Handrails? And the reversed polarity!! What about the reversed polarity!!!!!!!!!

[Bruce Thomas]

Kurt,

Add roof walking in a windy city to that list. By the way Chicago is only the 15th windist city in the US, Boston is #1. My wife is a weather chanel adict.

Bruce

[kurt]

As history has shown, Chicago isn't called the Windy City for it's wind; it's called that because the politicians were (and are) full of hot air.

[homnspector]

"What about the reversed polarity!!!!!!!!!"

Kurt, I don't think any of us can help you with that.

But, try this http://psychiatricresourceforum.blogs.com/my_weblog/

[Brian G]

I have a recurring nightmare where I'm electrocuted by an ungrounded ceiling fan a licensed electrician installed. [xx(]

Brian G.

The Sparky Did It! [:-magnify